Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's nationally recognized best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions. We're being brought to you today by our latest addition to our tailgate staples, Yuengling.
Routine. No game is bigger than any other. Each one is equally important. These are the mantras Coach Holgorsen has been preaching all year. Will the Mountaineers heed? If not, this weekend's tilt with Bowling Green has all the makings for a "trap game." Personally, I'm hoping the lessons learned from the Norfolk St. and LSU games are fresh in the minds of the players and they can finally put together 4 straight quarters against a single team. Game previews, features, the usual tailgate prep and more are inside. Have a great weekend!!
Let's GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What You May Have Missed:
Coach Talk With Dana Holgorsen - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Mountaineer head coach Dana Holgorsen dissects Bowling Green's offense and explains why they've had so much success under head coach Dave Clawson. Holgorsen also talks about the Saturday night atmosphere in Morgantown and how intense it was.
Gold And Blue Now: Friday - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Mountaineers talk about the success the Bowling Green Falcons have had on offense, former quarterback Rasheed Marshall says the quarterback weekend will be a lot of fun for the fans and West Virginia President James Clements gets ready for his Big East meeting.
Bowling Green-West Virginia Q&A: Country Roads of Smoking Musket - Hustle Belt
Can West Virginia avoid a letdown game? Will this be as high scoring as promised? We preview BG's hardest test of the year with SBN's West Virginia blog Smoking Musket.
The Other White - MSNsportsNET.Com
“Kevin White turned out to be a lot better than we ever thought,” Nehlen admitted years later.
Basketball Player's House Catches Fire - WVMETRONEWS.COM
West Virginia University men's basketball player Deniz Kilicli's house caught on fire Thursday afternoon.
No. 21 Mountaineers take road trip to Georgetown, ‘Nova this weekend - Daily Athenaeum
The No. 21 West Virginia women's soccer team takes its six-game win streak on the road this weekend.
No. 25 WVU heads to Cincinnati this weekend - Daily Athenaeum
No. 25 West Virginia men's soccer team will look to find its way back to winning ways Saturday when it travels to Cincinnati.
News of Note:
Bowling Green vs. WVU - Charleston Gazette
And now comes Bowling Green -- a week after a crushing disappointment against LSU and a week before Big East play begins against Connecticut. Can you say Trap Game?
Mountaineers seek to ground Falcons in Morgantown - Sports Network/SB Nation
The Bowling Green Falcons will conclude their non-conference schedule in search of an upset this weekend in Morgantown, meeting up with the 22nd-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers.
No. 22 WVU looks to rebound from loss to LSU against Bowling Green - Daily Athenaeum
"Coach Clawson is a good football coach. He's an offensive guy; he's a quarterbacks' guy."
Bowling Green-WVU matchups - Charleston Gazette
Positional breakdowns
WVU O-line takes step forward - Times West Virginian
“The offensive line did a heck of a job at blocking,” coach Dana Holgorsen said. “Pass protection was great.”
Holgorsen still looking for go-to back - Charleston Gazette
"It depends on if you have three freshmen or if you have an All-American back out there,'' the West Virginia head coach said in reference to his tailbacks. "We're searching for guys that are every-down backs, which we don't have yet.''
Mountaineer Gameday: WVU needs rushing attack to join aerial assault - Charleston Daily Mail
The Mountaineers rank 115th in rushing offense. Only BYU, Idaho, Miami (Ohio), Arizona and Florida Atlantic have gotten less on the ground.
Mountaineer Gameday: Bowling Green tough to beat when it stops rush - Charleston Daily Mail
The Bowling Green defense that No. 22 West Virginia will see Saturday afternoon at Mountaineer Field has been pretty good this season.
Garrison Works for Starting Spot at WVU - WV Illustrated
It wasn't quite the Virginia Tech game of 2005, but there were similarities between what Dustin Garrison did on Saturday and what Steve Slaton accomplished back then.
HERTZEL COLUMN: Garrison breaks from the back pack - Times West Virginian
There was a kind of poetic justice in Garrison stepping forward in the LSU game, considering his oft-told story.
WVU football: Smith reflects on missed chances No. 22 Mountaineers had - Charleston Daily Mail
"There were a couple things I did in that game that were uncharacteristic," he said. "I made a few bad throws and a few bad decisions. But I'm over it and I'll try to progress from it."
Mountaineers reshuffle cast - Register-Herald
Mickey's Column
Expect WVU to make special teams changes - Register-Herald
Morrison's Notebook
Special attention to special teams for WVU - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"They pretty much had their way with us on special teams," senior cornerback Keith Tandy said. "(The coaches) always told us punts and kickoffs are the two biggest plays in football. People would laugh at it, but now we know how big of a play they are."
Center Joe Madsen - Mountaineer TV
Joe Madsen talks about the offensive line's performance against LSU, and looks ahead to Bowling Green.
Around the League (and Beyond):
Conference Realignment: Rumors of a Big East Mass Exodus - Big East Coast Bias
Is there about to be a mass exodus of Big East teams to the Big XII? If so, what does the future of the league hold?
Big East commish squarely on hot seat - Charleston Gazette
Here's your "DUH" article of the week
Fail To Pitt: Pittsburgh 44, South Flori a 17 - Voodoo Five
Pitt 44, USF 17: Now THAT is High Octane Offense - Cardiac Hill
Rutgers-Syracuse game preview - On the Banks
McEntee Starting; Huskies Not Pleased With 2-2 Record - Hartford Courant
University of Cincinnati Announces NCAA Violations - Down The Drive
Tennessee AD: SEC will expand beyond 13 teams - SI.com
College GameDay Kickoff: Week 5 preview - ESPN
What's On Tap:
Bowling Green Falcons vs. (22) West Virginia Mountaineers - Preview - ESPN
3:30 pm Saturday from Mountaineer Field on MASN, ROOT, Gameplan (not in WV or PA), ESPN3 (not in MD) and taped delay on SNY at 7pm. WVU is giving 18.5.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Syracuse Orange - ESPN
Noon Saturday from the Dome on SNY, MASN, Gameplan and ESPN3. Cuse is giving 1.5.
Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Miami (OH) RedHawks - ESPN
1 pm Saturday from Yager Stadium on ESPN3. Cinci is giving 14.5.
Western Michigan Broncos vs. Connecticut Huskies - ESPN
3:30 pm Saturday from the Rent on Gameplan and ESPN3. Huskies are giving 2.5
Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Louisville Cardinals - ESPN
3:30 pm Saturday from the Pizza Place on Gameplan and ESPN3. Cards are giving 11.
Video of Interest:
MSN's Tony Caridi sat down with WVU Head Coach Dana Holgorsen and Defensive Coordinator Jeff Casteel to discuss the LSU game and the Mountaineers upcoming game with Bowling Green.
Tailgate Recipe of the Week:
Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls
Ingredients
- 1 unsliced loaf of sourdough bread (preferably round)
- 8 to 12 ounces Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
- 3-ounce bag Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Bits
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon ranch dressing mix
Method
Image and recipe from The Quad/New York Times Sports Blog
- Using a sharp bread knife, cut the loaf in both directions in a checkerboard pattern, being careful not to cut through the bottom crust.
- Place slices of cheese between cuts.
- Sprinkle bacon bits on bread, making sure to get between cuts.
- Mix butter with ranch dressing mix. Pour over bread.
- Wrap loaf in foil and place on baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Unwrap. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Video of (Dis)Interest:
Apparently, this is real. Thanks to @JimmyKimmel for the heads up.
Miss Throwdown:
Today's Miss Throwdown is UK tabloid model Gemma Atkinson. Here's her video and gallery (click on the picture for gallery).
Yuengling image via www.yuengling.com
